Qualcomm names wireless chief

Qualcomm has named Norm Fjeldheim as chief executive of its Wireless Knowledge subsidiary, the company said Friday.

Fjeldheim will replace Eric Schultz, who has left the company. Fjeldheim had most recently served as chief information officer at San Diego, Calif.-based Qualcomm.

Qualcomm created the Wireless Knowledge subsidiary with Microsoft in 1998, and bought Microsoft out last November. The company's software allows customers to access corporate e-mail accounts or networks from wireless devices.

Fjeldheim's appointment will allow Qualcomm and its subsidiary to work more closely together, the telecommunications company said Friday.

"Qualcomm's core technology supports 3G services to deliver a nationwide high-speed network for enterprise users. Wireless Knowledge provides the enterprise solutions and services that take advantage of this high-speed capability," Fjeldheim said in a release. "This new alignment will provide enterprises with the solutions that deliver immediate business value."

Third-generation, or 3G, services have been tantalizing the telecommunications industry for several years and are slowly turning into a reality. They're intended to provide cell phones and portable computing devices with much faster and higher-capacity access to the Internet.